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Category: General News

  • Racecourse Colliery – thank you!

    We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved last Thursday with the Racecourse Colliery Preview! Thank you for your hard work in very soggy conditions, it was a fantastic evening enjoyed by all members, Friends, Trustees and staff.

    Thank you to the VE, Maintenance, Operation and Marketing Teams all those involved in the planning of the event. To David Pitt and Irene de Boo for speaking on the evening – it was brilliant to gain an insight into the project and the history of the Colliery on the night. Also for everybody who got the Racecourse Colliery bustling with life; Sheila and children from the Harlequin Drama Group, the Mine Team, the Steam Team, Chris, Michelle and Charlie. I know that we can all agree that Tom’s Mine Show blew us all away thank you for delighting us all with your flaming hand!

    Very best wishes

    The Development Team

  • Update – Staff Consultative Forum

    The Staff Consultative Forum met last week. Following an update on the progress of Forging Ahead and the Museum as a whole, specific topics of discussion included:

    • recording annual leave
    • bank holiday working
    • the Food and Drink policy
    • the next staff social
    • the Staff Forum constituencies

    The areas that each Staff Forum member represents were reviewed and it was agreed that these still remained the most appropriate constituencies. There are currently a number of vacancies and the Forum agreed that elections would be held towards the end of April to fill these vacancies. Details about the vacancies and elections will be released shortly.

    As you may know, in March the Museum signed a recognition agreement with Community Union for collective representation of Costumed Demonstrators who work in the Visitor Engagement Team in relation to matters regarding pay, hours and holiday as the result of the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) panel accepting their request for recognition. In the coming weeks Community will be conducting an election to choose two Union Stewards who will be the representatives for the Union in relation to matters falling under the recognition agreement.

    The recognition agreement and the election of union representatives, however, will not alter the role of the Staff Consultative Forum. It will continue to represent all staff members and workers across the Museum, including Costumed Demonstrators, as the forum to raise and discuss all matters relating to the structure, activities and performance of the Museum as they affect all staff.

     

  • For Information – Partnership with Black Country Touring

    As part of the Museum’s National Portfolio Organisation funding, we are developing a partnership with local touring theatre company, Black Country Touring – you may remember we hosted them last summer for their Life’s a Beach project. We will be working with Black Country Touring both at the Museum and across the Black Country to share the stories of our local communities through performance and first person interpretation.

    Over the next few months, during the development phase of BCLM: Forging Ahead, members of Black Country Touring will be working with various Museum staff, volunteers and consultants to explore the potential for theatre, performance and first person interpretation on our site. The first pilot performances will be devised and integrated into August’s Summer Evening programme, in some of our shops with the aim of developing this into a wider performance involving pieces onsite and in shops across the Black Country.

  • For Information – A National Portfolio Organisation 2018-2022

    For Information – A National Portfolio Organisation 2018-2022

    As of 1 April 2018, we are officially an Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). This follows three successful years as an ACE-funded Major Partner Museum (MPM).

    We’ll receive £550,000 for each of the four years of investment, a significant amount of which will support our major development project BCLM: Forging Ahead including the growth and development of our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths) Learning Programme and Community Engagement Programme with communities across the Black Country.

    We’ll also continue to lead the successful Museums & Resilient Leadership programme from 2018-2022.

    Our move to an NPO brings with it several staff changes:

    Hayley McCafferty-David, recruited as MPM project Manager in 2015 now moves fully into her role as BCLM: Forging Ahead Project Manager.

    Glenis Williams, recruited under the MPM programme in 2015 to help fulfil the Museum’s audience development objectives now moves into her role as full-time Community Engagement Manager to continue working towards widening participation with specific communities as part of BCLM: Forging Ahead. Glenis will also be interviewing shortly for a new Community Engagement Assistant to support in the delivery of this important work. More to follow once that appointment has been made.

    Dianne Rivers, recruited as MPM Volunteer Coordinator now moves into a Volunteer Manager role to continue to develop our growing volunteer programme. Ricki Boden also continues with us as Volunteer Team Administrator.

    Each of these members of staff have contributed so much to the Museum over the last three years and I’m delighted that we are able to retain their abilities as we move to a National Portfolio Organisation.

     

    The Museum’s success in becoming an NPO also sees Grant Bird’s appointment to a new Audience Analyst position. Grant is a very experienced market researcher, having spent more than fifteen years in consumer research prior to his current role as Curator (Domestic & Cultural Life). He will be starting in his new position on Monday 9 April. In addition to his substantive role as Audience Analyst, Grant will also be taking on some additional responsibility as manager of the Marketing & Communications team during Catherine Furnival’s maternity leave.

     

  • Rationalisation of Tram Collection – update

    This update follows the news article posted in December regarding the deaccessioning of four tram bodies under tarpaulins by the Albion Depot:

    Tram 361 (1998/036/001) ex Lisbon Tramways

    In line with the MA Code of Ethics/Disposal Toolkit and after being offered to any other Museum that would be interested in acquiring it for their collection, this week we said goodbye to Tram 361.

    Built in 1906 by J Stephenson Co, New York, single-deck Tram No,361 was delivered to the Lisbon Tramway Network (Rede de eléctricos de Lisboa) in 1907. Heavily rebuilt in 1947-49 and again in 1959-61, it survived in service until the mid-1990s. Acquired by the museum in 1998 the intention was to strip the vehicle for spares, with the bogies, brake gears and linkages deemed appropriate for reuse on Tram 49. Unfortunately this proved not to be the case and after being advertised to museums and heritage organisations both in the UK and abroad, the tram is heading back to Portugal and a new life with Paulo Marques, restorer of Lisbon Trams.

     

    The area outside Albion depot will continue to be tidied up over the weeks ahead, where only one covered Tividale built tram body now remains.

  • Update – The Collections Team

    Update – The Collections Team

    As you may be aware, on Friday 16 March, Irene de Boo will be leaving us as Head of Collections.

    I believe we shouldn’t rush into necessarily a like-for-like replacement for Irene since we are in the midst of  thinking about delivering Forging Ahead, while continuing, equally, to successfully run the Museum.

    Therefore, I will be not be making an immediate appointment into the role of Head of Collections.  The line management responsibilities within the Team have temporarily been re-organised.  Individual members of the Collections Team have taken on extra duties to cover the post gap.  We are investigating the short-term appointment of an Interim Head of Collections for the next four months.  By summer 2018, we expect to be in a position to commence recruitment for a new Head of Collections.

    Andrew

  • John Hughes Staff Award – Applications Open

    The John Hughes Staff Award is available to support the professional and personal development of individual(s) through funding for qualifications, conferences, workshops, short courses and research trips.

    The award is available to permanent staff members who have worked at BCLM for a minimum of 6 months and who are able to demonstrate how the award will support their personal development and also benefit the Museum.

    The maximum award available each year from 2016-2021 is £1,000 (the minimum amount requested should be no less than £200), which will be awarded to one or multiple staff members following submission of the attached form. (Any supporting or additional information about the professional/personal development opportunity should be attached to the application).

    There is still an amount of the 2018 funding available so we are seeking applicants to be considered for the funding.

    Staff are required to discuss their requirements with their Line Manager prior to completing the application form (available in the HR section of the Documents tab above). This is to ensure the application is suitable to be funded in this way and is not a requirement which may be able to be met by the Museum in other ways. This should then be authorised by the Line Manager and submitted to HR. A decision will then be made by HR and the relevant Deputy Chief Executive (s), subject to the remaining funds available and according to the needs of the Museum at that time.

     

    Please note the following:

    • More than 1 submission for funding may be made but priority may be given to first time applicants, depending on the nature of the application and the requirements of the Museum at that time.
    • If you leave BCLM within 12 months of receiving the award, you may be required to repay the amount received.

     

     

     

     

     

  • AIM Annual Conference – Opportunity to Attend

    The AIM annual conference this year takes place at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon across the two days of 21 and 22 June 2018.

    The theme for 2018 is ‘Changing Gear’. Day 1 will draw on important new research exploring how museums can attract more diverse audiences for the benefit of everyone whilst on day 2 finance will be the focus and will include ideas on alternative income generation and inspirational ideas on financial leadership

    As in previous years we are offering 2 staff the opportunity to attend this year’s conference, with travel for each day provided. All you need to do is complete an application and provide us with some information as to how you think this will be of benefit to you in your role here at BCLM.

    More information is available on the AIM website.

    If you are interested in attending, please complete the application form (available in the HR section of the ‘Documents’ tab above) and return to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 27 April 2018. Staff will be selected based on their application and informed in early May.

     

  • New Look Intranet Screen Display

    Notice something different?

    We’ve re-designed the way the intranet is displayed on communal staff screens so that the information is clear, up to date (and hopefully interesting!)

    You’ll notice a few new features too such as the integration of a weather widget, a BCLM social media feed and a local news & travel section.

    Hopefully, you’ll find this a much improved way to receive news and updates from across the Museum but if there’s anything else you’d like to see displayed or any suggestions for improvements, please do let us know by emailing [email protected]

     

  • BCLM: Forging Ahead – West Bromwich Building Society

    We’ll be launching our public call-out for memories and objects relating to the Cape Hill branch of the West Bromwich Building Society (WBBS) pre-1960 on Monday 5 March.

    Do have any personal stories about this WBBS branch that was at 31, Cape Hill, Smethwick (opposite the present-day branch)? Perhaps you held a savings account with them or got your first mortgage there? Or maybe your family or friends worked there?

    If you, or anyone you know has anything you would like to share to help in our recreation of the West Bromwich building Society, please pop in and see the Collections team in the Rolfe Street offices.

    We’re particularly keen to hear the memories of those who moved to Smethwick from outside the UK during this period. This was a time when housing was a political, economic and cultural issue and finding somewhere to live was often challenging. We are keen to hear how new arrivals found somewhere to live, how they saved to buy a home, and about the difficulties they faced. If you have a story to tell we would love to hear it.

     

    A bit about WBBS

    The West Brom was formed as the West Bromwich Permanent Benefit Building Society in 1849, at Paradise Street Methodist schoolrooms in West Bromwich. Societies like this were formed to enable the working classes to afford home ownership and in turn receive a vote, whilst sharing the profits of the venture. The Society grew in strength between the wars, opening a new headquarters, the “Home Of Thrift” in West Bromwich High Street, and branches in Handsworth, Smethwick, Great Bridge and Oldbury. By its centenary year in 1949, the West Brom had over 1.5 million depositors, still helping people to save to afford their own home.

    The building we are recreating from 31, Cape Hill, was built in the late nineteenth-century as part of the Post Office on the corner of Windmill Lane, and was taken over by the Building Society in 1931. They moved their Smethwick Branch from Waterloo Road to this more prominent site and refaced the building with a new stone façade. It remained open until around 1970, when the branch moved across the road to its present position.

     

    Why WBBS?

    Telling the story of the Society in this period will enable us to show the importance of mutual help and savings to the ordinary residents of the Black Country, and how central to everyday life the idea of home was.